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Events

E-mail

Telephone

01902 552507

Fax

01902 552504

All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.

Situated minutes from Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham, Bilston Craft Gallery is the largest dedicated contemporary craft venue in the metropolitan West Midlands.

Our permanent exhibition, Craftsense, allows visitors to explore three hundred years of craft history together with works from some leading figures of the contemporary craft scene. The exhibition has a variety of interactives including audio sound-bites, handling materials and an IT kiosk to explore.

The gallery also hosts nationally renowned touring shows and a vibrant and innovative programme of events for all the family.

Venue Type:

Bilston Craft Gallery is located 3 miles outside of Wolverhampton and 5 minutes walk from Bilston town centre.

We have disabled and limited parking spaces at the front of the building. There is free parking within 200 yards.

Bilston Central tram stop is 5 minutes walk from the gallery and trams run between Wolverhampton St Georges and Birmingham Snow Hill every 8 minutes. Journey time from Wolverhampton is approximately 10 minutes and 30 minutes from Birmingham Snow Hill.

Buses 79 Wolverhampton to West Bromwich and 39 Wolverhampton to Walsall both go from Wolverhampton Bus Station and stop on the Wellington Road in Bilston close to the Craft Gallery.

Additional info

The gallery is fully accessible and equipped with toddler and disabled toilets.

Collection details

Decorative and Applied Art

Key artists and exhibits

Bilston Craft Gallery is also home to 'Craftplay', an award winning sensory gallery and activity space specially designed for pre-school children.

Exhibition details are listed below, you may need to scroll down to see them all.

Exhibition (temporary)

Bilston's Happy Housing: Otto Neurath's Vision for Post-War Modern Living

7 March — 2 May 2015 *on now

In the mid-1940s eminent Viennese sociologist and urban planner Otto Neurathset out an ambitious plan for creating happiness in Bilston. His vision was to create modern homes based on state-of-the-art social housing of 1920s Red Vienna. The end result was Stowlawn Estate. This exhibition presents Neurath’s ideas, examples of his famous Isotypes (forerunners of today’s infographics), and memories of people who have lived on Stowlawn Estate over the past 60 years. There will also be furniture, textiles, ceramics and domestic items reflecting the ‘new look’ style of the mid-century era.

Suitable for

Website

The Liberated Quilt: New Work from Through our Hands

16 May — 11 July 2015

The Liberated Quilt provides a showcase for 23 international artists working mainly with stitched textile techniques, including quilt-making and embroidery. Their work challenges and expands the boundaries of textiles, showing how innovative ideas can evolve from a traditional art form.

Strong narratives, bold visions, and raw emotional response are key features of the work on show. Curated by Through Our Hands, this exhibition offers the opportunity to experience work by textile artists considered to be amongst the best in the world.

Suitable for

Admission

Website

Expressive Threads

23 May 2015 11am-3pm

Learn a range of decorative hand-stitch and machine stitch techniques. From needle-felting, to machine embroidery, this workshop will open up a whole new palette of skills to add texture, pattern and expression to your textile work.

Suitable for

16-17

18+

Admission

£27

Workshop, club or activity

Playful Patchwork

27 May 2015 11am-12:30pm, 1:30-3pm

Make a cool patchwork bag or a textile picture for your wall. Cut up and piece together your own designs or use ideas from our quilts exhibition.

CraftPlay

Craftplay is our award winning, creative play project for 0-7 year olds and their carers. It has a specially designed activity space with craft handling pieces and a wealth of materials for sensory and creative exploration.
Hands on fun at Craftplay

How to obtain

Booking is advised as there are limited places. Please contact Bilston Craft Gallery on 01902 552507 or email bilstoncraftgallery@wolverhampton.gov.uk to secure your place.

Face to face resources

Garden Club

Garden Club is an ongoing opportunity for volunteers to help develop the garden to the rear of Bilston Craft Gallery and Library. Participants will also get the chance to take part in free art and craft workshops. All sessions are free, and open to all ages and abilities.

How to obtain

Please contact the gallery for more information on Garden Club - bilstoncraftgallery@wolverhampton.gov.uk.

Resources

Made in the Middle

Free, downloadable education pack for use both at the gallery or in the classroom.

Made in the Middle introduces a wealth of talented makers from across the Midlands in the seventh in the series of this touring exhibition by Craftspace. Key themes are how craftspeople are embracing digital technologies in their practice and the varied pathways by which people have come to a career in making.

Creator

Bilston Craft Gallery

How to obtain

Follow the link to the downloadable PDF file for Made in the Middle teachers pack.

Getting there

Bilston Craft Gallery is located 3 miles outside of Wolverhampton and 5 minutes walk from Bilston town centre.

We have disabled and limited parking spaces at the front of the building. There is free parking within 200 yards.

Bilston Central tram stop is 5 minutes walk from the gallery and trams run between Wolverhampton St Georges and Birmingham Snow Hill every 8 minutes. Journey time from Wolverhampton is approximately 10 minutes and 30 minutes from Birmingham Snow Hill.

Buses 79 Wolverhampton to West Bromwich and 39 Wolverhampton to Walsall both go from Wolverhampton Bus Station and stop on the Wellington Road in Bilston close to the Craft Gallery.